History and Culture Archives | GoToStCroix.com

The U.S. Virgin Islands may soon have an official madras, designed by St. Croix’s own Debbie Sun! If you are not familiar with madras, it’s a calico-like fabric that was originally used by the peasant class in India. Named for the small fishing village of Madraspatnam (Madras) where it originated, madras became a very popular…

The St. Croix Seashell Museum, founded in 2014, highlights the beauty and stewardship of the marine ecology of our island. The St. Croix Seashell Society hosts educational workshops throughout the year to increase awareness and appreciation of seashells and mollusks. The St. George Village Botanical Garden Great Hall is the site for our Seashell Museum,…

Island Vybez Party Bus is the only party bus experience on St. Croix! Island Vybez Party Bus is a unique company designed to make any occasion special while offering incomparable entertainment, luxury, safety, and reliability. Enjoy a club-like atmosphere with an immersive media system, illuminated dance floor, disco lighting, onboard bar and food area, and…

Pointe Dance Academy is the island’s premier ballet school for professional level training. Our nationally and internationally accredited teachers offer classical ballet instruction in the Cecchetti, Russian Imperial, and Bournonville methods for ages 4 through adults, with any level of expereince. Pointe Dance prepares students for examinations at all levels given by the ISTD/USA Cecchetti Society,…

See Christiansted through the ‘Eyes of Hamilton’! This educational and entertaining walking tour is given by Alexander Hamilton himself, dressed in the style of the times, and includes historically authentic sights where Hamilton lived and worked from age seven to seventeen. Participants will come to realize the influence St. Croix had on Hamilton’s learning of international…

Historic Artifacts on Company Street

St. Croix is known by many for it’s rich history, there is even an archaeological museum here where you can learn about some of the island’s earliest inhabitants. The St. Croix Archaeological Society Museum houses a number of interesting pre-Colombian era artifacts that have been excavated here on St. Croix, but new artifacts from multiple eras…

USVI Celebrates Freedom in July

Each year the United States of America and her territories celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, patriotic displays, barbecues, picnics and parties. Here in the U.S. Virgin Islands, we get to commemorate not one, but two historical acts of freedom back to back: Emancipation Day and Independence Day. Both Emancipation Day and Independence Day are significant…

Transfer Day Centennial Commemoration

March 31st is recognized every year in the U.S. Virgin Islands as Transfer Day, commemorating the day that the Danish West Indies were formally ceded to the United States by Denmark, becoming the U.S. Virgin Islands. March 31, 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of Transfer Day, so special centennial events were held to commemorate this auspicious anniversary.…

Self-Guided Tour of Hamilton's Christiansted

For those interested in the life and times of Alexander Hamilton, you should know that the years he spent on St. Croix in the Danish West Indies became eight of the most influential and formative years of his life. Throughout his career, Hamilton applied the knowledge he gained on St. Croix, most notably his understanding…

Alexander Hamilton's History on St. Croix

With the award-winning musical Hamilton selling out on Broadway, there has been a resurgence in interest about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. It is commonly known that Hamilton was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, a major author of the Federalist papers, and the United States’ first Secretary of the Treasury. What many…

A History of Transfer Day

Transfer Day refers to the day that the Danish West Indies were formally transferred to the United States, becoming the U.S. Virgin Islands. At 4:00pm on March 31, 1917, the United States purchased the Danish West Indies from Denmark for twenty-five million dollars. At that time, a formal ceremony was held here in the islands while…

CoralFire offers the most incredible fire performances in the Caribbean! Catch one of our outstanding weekly shows at The Buccaneer Hotel or AMA at Cane Bay – or book us for your private show. Each performance is completely unique! Now offering Mermaid Appearances, LED Light Shows, and VJ (video projection) Services. CoralFire is comprised of…

Visit Historic Churches

St. Croix has historically been, and remains today, a melting pot of religions. Known as ‘The Land of Churches’, the island is home to approximately 150 churches that serve its 50,000 residents. Some of St. Croix’s historic churches date back to the 18th century, and the variety of these churches are a true representation of the…

Tour Two Historic Forts

Two of the most iconic and imposing historical buildings here on St. Croix are Fort Christiansvaern and Fort Frederik. These forts were constructed between the mid-1700’s and mid-1800’s to protect Christiansted and Frederiksted from smugglers, pirates, European invaders, as well as to enforce the payment of taxes on imports and exports, and to deter slave rebellions. Both of…

Lyric Sails

Live music at sea with Lyric Sails! Step aboard the ‘Jolly Mon’ 63ft sailing catamaran for a unique sunset cruise like you’ve never experienced. Sail the calm waters of St. Croix’s West End as you listen to the sounds of live music performed by local and visiting bands. Enjoy unlimited complimentary rum punch, a fully stocked…

Explore Sugar Mill Plantation Ruins

You have probably seen dozens of historic sugar mills dotting the landscape of St. Croix. Many of these mills were constructed between 1750 and 1800 when, while under Danish rule, St. Croix was one of the richest sugar producing islands in all of the Caribbean. These picturesque mills and remaining sugar plantation ruins now serve as reminders…

Visit the Estate Whim Museum & Great House

The Estate Whim Museum is the only sugar plantation museum in the Virgin Islands. With its slave quarters, Great House, cookhouse, sugar mill and factory complex, visiting the Estate Whim plantation is like walking back in time. The purpose of the Estate Whim Museum is to increase the understanding of a traditional colonial sugar plantation to island…

St. Croix Heritage Trail

The St. Croix Heritage Trail is a self guided tour of the island’s many historic sites, cultural attractions, and natural areas. The trail links many of St. Croix’s major historic attractions such as Whim Plantation Museum, St. George Village Botanical Gardens, and Christiansted National Historic Site, as well as plantation and sugar factory ruins, churches, scenic…

Christiansted National Historic Site: There's an app for that!

History now meets technology at the Christiansted National Historic Site. The National Park Service here on St. Croix has released a FREE mobile phone application (app) that provides General Information, Points of Interest, History & Culture, Rules & Regulations, Current Weather, and more for the national parks of St. Croix. Even better, the app is being…

The Wonders of St. Croix

A few years ago, I was in a meeting with the owners and management of St. Croix’s hotels and tour operators. We were given an advanced copy of a new brochure that the US Virgin Islands Dept of Tourism was printing. It was an absolutely beautiful piece called ‘The Wonders of St Croix’. Only a limited…